


Star Prisoner

by EchoEchoEchoEchoEcho



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Basically Keith just has a really shit time, But hopefully somewhere dark and angsty, But lotor is cool so he's now in it, But only like for a paragraph and i dont even think it counts., But time is relative isn't it, Captured Keith, Daddy Issues, Family Issues, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), I have no idea where I'm going with this story, I started this somewhere between season one and two, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Keith (Voltron) Has Abandonment Issues, Keith (Voltron) Has Issues, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith angst, Keith finds out he's galra in a different way, Keith is just a mess, Keith whump, Mommy Issues, No idea when this is set sorry, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Touching, Not Beta Read, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Past Child Abuse, Past Revealed, Sensory Deprivation, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), but that doesn't mean it's awful, captured voltron, injured keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 16:30:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17287523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoEchoEchoEchoEcho/pseuds/EchoEchoEchoEchoEcho
Summary: The sound of his own breathing was the only thing keeping him sane. The monotonous rise and fall of his chest and the constant, rhythmic beating of his heart were steady and oddly comforting. He liked to be alone and that was perhaps a good thing, considering how much of his life he'd spent in solitude. From a young age he'd found that the best way of doing things was to just ignore the rules, do what he wanted, and damn the consequences.Voltron gets captured by Lotor but the prince takes a strange, special interest in just one of the paladins.  Keith.Set somewhere around season 2 I think?Redo of my old story 'Heritage'





	Star Prisoner

**Author's Note:**

> A redo of my old story.  
> Hopefully it's a bit better.  
> Hopefully I will finish it this time.  
> Hopefully people will like it and I can have much needed validation.

The sound of his own breathing was the only thing keeping him sane. The monotonous rise and fall of his chest and the constant, rhythmic beating of his heart were steady and oddly comforting. He liked to be alone and that was perhaps a good thing, considering how much of his life he'd spent in solitude. From a young age he'd found that the best way of doing things was to just ignore the rules, do what he wanted, and damn the consequences.

This policy hadn't served him as well as he had hoped in the past but even so, he stuck firmly to it. Looking back, Keith realised that perhaps this was the reason that they'd thrown him out of the garrison and why he'd been labelled as a delinquent and a troublemaker at the tender age of seven. 

But one thing he knew for sure was why adults didn't like him, why he was thrown out of all those foster homes and all those schools. He was different. He didn’t fit in. They called him 'disruptive' and a 'bad influence”. Every teacher or foster parent Keith had ever had, had uttered these words about him before, usually on a constant loop. Keith never showed it, but those words stung, much like the tears that fell his eyes as they were repeated over and over again in each town or city he was sent to. 

It made his heart ache for a loving family, for a doting mother who would spoil him very chance she got and a father who'd take him out for ice cream every Sunday even if it was snowing. A father who'd ruffle his hair and call him son, a family that would help him grow, help him learn about the world and most importantly, say the three words that Keith had never heard, the three words he longed for, the ones he had asked for every Christmas since he was five. 'I love you'. 

Keith snorted and turned his face into the cool wall of his cell, he was turning into Lance, with his stupid nostalgia and overwhelming amounts of sentiment. Lance, of course had a massive family. The Paladins had all seen it the first time they’d melded their minds. Lance had brothers and sisters, two loving parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandmas, granddads. Lance had everyone. And Keith had no one. It wasn’t exactly resentment Keith felt, but more of a quiet longing for what Lance had. A big family which hugged you even when you didn’t want to be hugged. A family which loved each and every member equally, regardless of their sexuality or race or beliefs. 

A loud bang shook Keith roughly from his thoughts, causing him to look round in a wild panic, searching for danger, a deer caught in headlights. Through the dark gloom of his cell he could see a figure by the door, outlined by the light outside. The shape was tall and menacing. Definitely not human. This was the first contact Keith had had with another person in days, for they had left him, in the dark, blind and virtually senseless in the cell for what felt like weeks. Keith knew it had to have been only days, he would have died if it had been longer than a week. They hadn’t brought him either food nor water. 

“Get up” spoke the figure harshly, the voice was cold and cruel, with no hint of compassion or mercy. Keith cautiously picked himself up of the floor, body shaking from dehydration and rose to his feet, squinting at the figure, trembling despite his valiant efforts to keep himself calm.  
“Come here, filth” It spat, sounding disgusted with the boy that stood before him. 

Keith could see the figure more clearly now as he walked towards it. It’s skin was a deep purple, it's armour a contrasting grey black. Its glowing yellowish eyes followed him as he came closer and closer to them. Keith halted, several feet away from the unmistakable Galra soldier. The figure snarled and he caught a glimpse of the the razor sharp points which were the soldier’s teeth.  
“Closer, boy.” Keith grimaced and took another step forward, not wanting to be in close proximity to any of his captors. 

“Turn around.” Keith didn’t move. The Galra blinked, obviously not expecting resistance from him, especially in his weakened state.  
“I said turn around Paladin.” the soldier ordered him. He didn’t move. Keith was so unprepared for what happened next he forgot to cry out. The guard grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, making Keith's fragile body collide with the wall. Keith let out a quiet whimper as his bruised chest was aggravated. 

“Next time you will do as I say” he emphasised his words by shoving Keith further into the wall.  
“Won’t you?” The soldier’s hand made its way into Keith’s hair, his claws offering a mockery of gentleness. Tears threatened to fall from the corner of his eyes and Keith felt his resolve crumbling. He nodded reluctantly. 

“I knew you’d cooperate eventually.” crooned the soldier. His hand left Keith’s hair and he was forced up away from the wall. Keith breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered where the rest of the paladins where. He didn't even know if they were alive. It was his own stupid fault for getting captured, if they did survive they'd probably attempt some suicidal rescue mission, which would get them killed, and it would be all his fault. 

He was broken out of his reverie by the Galra snapping cuffs on his thin wrists, the weight of them dragged his hands down to the small of his back and the magnetic metal attached them together. He didn't think he could lift them if he tried. The Galra pushed him forward roughly, causing him to stumble.  
“Walk.”  
Keith hung his head in utter defeat and did as he was told. He walked out of the cell. 

“Just to make sure” he heard his guard mutter and just as he was about to ask what was just to make sure, when he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He cried out as the drug took effect immediately, making his bones feel weak and thin and his muscles non-existent. 

He stumbled again, his legs became jelly and it became difficult to walk. His vision was blurry and he barely registered the dozen other guards that joined him and his original escort. Two of them yanked his wrists apart from the handcuffs and draped his arms around each their necks, leaving him suspended helpless between them, his bare feet dragging uselessly on the floor. 

He was dragged down a long corridor where there was a tumult of sound. It echoed in Keith's head and didn't help his befuddled and confused state, noise was coming from every possible direction. In contrast to his own private cell these were full of captives, at least ten or twenty prisoners in each. but it was obvious that they were all of the same species. Galra. 

Keith figured that these had to be the lowest of the low, they must have done something really terrible to be kept here. There was an inaudible shout from one of the prisoners and the guard to his right halted his escort. His guard turned to reply but he spoke in what Keith assumed was galran and he was left wondering what they were saying. Keith's eyes widened and he shuddered as he felt sharp claws once again, rake slowly through his hair almost lovingly. He winced as the fingers tightened as he tried to jerk his head away. There was laughter from the cells, the hand in his hair gave one last caress and his party set off again down the dimly lit corridor. 

As they walked, well as his escort walked and Keith hung, loud banging noises came from the cells, hands and feet clapping and stomping the floor in time with each other as if there was music playing and every one could hear it but Keith. Wolf whistles followed their progress down the corridor and each time, the guard who had spoken to the prisoner as if they were old friends, (Keith reasoned that they probably were) moved a scaly hand down to Keith's lower back asserting his dominance over the injured boy. Then, finally the row of cells came to an end and Keith felt himself let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. 

He felt himself be taken up metal steps which clanged as the heavy boots which belonged to his escorts made contact with them. They turned left and then right down another corridor. There was far less noise up here and he could see the forms of other prisoners, not Galra this time, his mind strayed to Matt Holt and his father and he began checking in every cell for any sign of them. He wouldn't let Pidge down. 

The guard on his immediate right saw what he was doing and forcibly held his head down, so he was left, staring at the floor. He stubbornly tried to raise it again and they hit him in the stomach with something hard. He let out a small gasp of pain, refusing to let them see that the blow had hurt him. 

He kept his head down after that, his dark hair falling over his eyes obscuring his vision. He shut his eyes for good measure. Not wanting the tears that had blossomed due to the pain escape and show weakness. They turned right and carried on. He dreaded to think where they were taking him. 'Surely to you doom' the little voice in the back of his head supplied helpfully. 

Then, something happened which made him look up in surprise.  
“KEITH! KEITH CAN YOU HEAR ME?!”  
It took him a few seconds for his brain to compute that it was me Lance’s voice. It was coming from somewhere near to his left. He looked wildly around, his eyes darting from one call to another searching for his friend.  
“OVER HERE!”  
It was now Shiro’s voice calling. And Hunks. He saw Lance’s face peering out from between two bars and saw his face light up when their eyes connected. Hunk, Shiro and Pidge were there too, all pushing to look out the door but Lance was not budging.  
‘Voltron was here!' He heard the little voice say. But in his confused state he struggled to find meaning in those words. If Voltron was here, it meant Voltron was in danger, it meant that Keith had to escape and save them. He couldn't let them stay here. Close to all those violent, jeering Galra prisoners. Before his mind had caught up to what his body was doing he had wrenched his arms from his captors grasp and fell to the floor. 

He landed with a thud, his legs unprepared for the weight that they suddenly bore. He manoeuvred his body around on the floor, put his weight on his arms and torso and swung his legs round, his calves and ankles smashing into the back of the nearest pair of knees he could see and sending him toppling to the floor. He got to his feet. His legs still felt like jelly but he was spurred on by the sight of his team’s faces. 

He feinted a blow to a Galra’s face, only to drive his fist into the guard’s solar plexus with his other hand. The action sent both himself and the Galra back a few paces. Suddenly, he felt strong arms wrap around his waist and lift him up off the ground. He stuck out with his elbow and the man behind him cursed loudly. The rest of the guards surrounded the struggling pair but he kicked out wildly with his legs, failing to hit any of his targets but kept the majority of them away from him. 

“Hold him still Ragnok!” 

Keith struggled harder than ever, fearing what they were going to do to him.  
“What does it look like I'm trying to do Menog? The little bitch won't keep still”  
Keith snarled and struck out again with his elbows, clipping his captor on the side of his head. Ragnok’s grip did not loosen. 

“You'll pay for that.” Ragnok said quietly into Keith’s ear, so only Keith could hear him. “You'll pay in more than blood, just you wait” Keith whimpered and a second later he felt the familiar prick of the needle push into his neck. 

His body seemed to melt, he couldn't hold his head upright, couldn't keep his eyes open. The world went black and he felt himself fall painfully to the floor and heard Hunk’s screams in the distance. They sounded as if they were underwater, sounds merging into one. The voice in his mind was telling him that he had to keep awake, that he had to be strong and not give in to the drug, if not for himself then for Voltron. But he could not keep himself from falling deep under the soft blankets that covered his mind, cushioning his thoughts and coaxing him, tantalisingly to sleep. 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The next thing Keith knew was unbelievable pain, it coursed through his body like liquid fire, igniting every nerve, burrowing into his muscles until he didn't think he could last much longer. Someone was screaming, It seemed to be coming from him but Keith had no recollection of doing so.Then, suddenly the pain vanished. His whole body tingled and he became aware that he was shaking uncontrollably. He was panting loudly, too and over the sound of his own ragged breath he heard words spoken seemingly from far away but his tired mind wouldn't, couldn't comprehend them. 

“I said look at me, boy”

Keith heard the words this time, and his blood ran cold when he realized who the speaker was. Lotor. His mind was racked with fear, he couldn’t move a muscle if he wanted to. He was frozen, too terrified to even think about moving. 

“Do not disobey the Prince, Paladin”

These words were spoken by another, to the side of Keith instead of directly In front.  
“It may be the last thing you ever do”  
There was an undeniable tone of authority behind these words. A tone which was equal to Lotor’s. But, even so, as if for good measure, they were accompanied by a hard slap to his face. 

He slowly cracked open his eyes and found that he was suspended off the floor, chained to a metal slab in the middle of a room. He then raised his head and looked defiantly into the eyes of his foe. Their eyes met, purple into purple, eyes boring into each other as if they thought they could wound the other if they stared hard enough. 

“Brave one aren't you?”  
Keith set his jaw firmly.  
“Tell me Paladin. How did Voltron learn the location of this ship?”

Keith didn’t say a word, just staring harder at his nemesis, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his heart beat faster and faster as he gradually became aware of his situation. There was no way out, he was defenseless. If Lotor wanted to kill him, he could. The Prince broke the connection between their eyes and Keith felt victorious, he smiled in satisfaction, but it was short lived as the next moment he felt that terrible, searing pain run through his body once more. 

He opened his mouth to scream, but he never got a chance. The pain ended as suddenly as it had started. He breathed a sigh of relief, flicking his hair out of his eyes as he resumed his staring at Lotor. 

“You will answer when spoken to!” 

It was the second voice again. This too was accompanied by a slap. The voice was high and shrill and made Keith think of one of his foster mothers. She too had felt the need to assert authority through physical violence.

Lotor was still staring at him, and Keith realized that he expected an answer. He spat at the floor at Lotor’s feet and schooled his features into a defiant smile. Their eyes didn't break contact once. The Druid moved to shock Keith again but she was stopped by the Prince. 

'No Haggar. Let the boy have his fun. We have time. He will break soon enough. Let him play this ridiculous game for now. We will soon best him at it.”

Lotor must have seen the fear that made its way past Keith's carefully constructed mask of indifference because he laughed triumphantly. It was a horrible sound. One which made young children cry. One which haunted nightmares, one which had no doubt accompanied thousands of massacres and countless destructions. 

He came closer to the slab where Keith was fastened. The piercing, purple eyes were scrutinising him closely.  
“Well well well, my young paladin.” He walked around the contraption, a hint of humour in his voice.  
“You are quite the star prisoner.”

Keith felt his face grow hot a blush covering his cheeks, he was responding exactly how they wanted him to. He had shown weakness, playing directly into the princes’ hands. 

“You'll have to unchain me if you want an autograph” he deadpanned

He didn’t even see her move, but a split second later Haggar had shocked him again. He bit his lip to stop himself crying out and felt the skin on his lip break. A second later the pain was gone and he panted heavily, glaring at the witch.  
The galra leader came back to face him and then moved quicker than Keith thought possible. His hand wrapped tightly around Keith’s jaw, forcing it upward. 

Keith smirked inwardly. Was the prince angry enough to make a mistake? But when he saw the expression on the princes’ face he faltered. Lotor’s face was full of shock, his eyes widening. A long, purple thumb reached out toward his lips and Keith tried to jerk his head out of the way but it was no use. Lotor was strong. The princes thumb ran over his lips and Keith tried to bite him but a second later Lotor let go of Keith’s jaw. Keith let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding and he looked up at the prince, whose back was now to him, showing his thumb to the witch. He lifted the thumb to his mouth and licked it. He turned back to Keith and smiled, a sadistic, triumphant smile, one which scared Keith immensely. 

“Well, this certainly is surprising. Haggar, did you know of this?”

“No my prince. This is enlightening indeed. I wonder even if the boy himself knows” she peered at him, her eyes boring into his. Keith was getting very creeped out by now. He wasn't used to this. Galra talking casually in front of him, they were usually trying to blow him up one way or an another. 

“What don't I know?” It burst from his lips before he could stop it but Keith couldn't help himself, the stress of the terrifying situation was getting to him, and Lotor and Haggar talking about him as if he wasn't even there wasn't helping. He head snapped to the side.  
“You speak when spoken to boy.” Haggar repeated. Keith wanted to hold his smarting cheek, but his hands were secured too tightly above his head. He couldn't even feel his fingers. 

Lotor and Haggar peered at his cheek, and they shared a knowing look and smiled at each other. Cruel, malicious smiles. Their pointed teeth displayed and Keith desperately wanted to know the joke they seemed to be sharing at his expense.  
“My lord. Do you require me to experiment further? This could be revolutionary. The red paladin of Voltron a-”

“Do what you wish” Lotor said, cutting across the witch “just don't hurt the boy too badly. I want him in good condition” The prince smirked at him and Keith felt his blood run cold. In good condition for what? And with that, Lotor left the room, a venomous smile gracing his lips. 

“Looks like it's just me and you now” breathed Haggar. She brought her face close to his, raking a long pointed nail down his cheek. Keith turned his face away and when she grasped his chin to pull him back toward her, this time he managed it, he bit her hand. Hard. 

She yelled and recoiled and a moment later Keith felt the familiar agonizing pain that he had felt before. Once more, he bit down on his lip to prevent himself from crying out. The next moment it stopped and Keith could taste metal in his mouth, he had drawn more blood. 

“You'd do better not to anger me, filth” 

In reply, he spat at her feet, recreating the moment between himself and Lotor. But unlike her prince Haggar didn't laugh, didn't stare into his eyes, Instead she gazed at the floor, where Keith had spat the blood out. 

Keith looked at it too. And as he did his eyes widened comically. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that spot on the floor. His brain was working overtime trying to come up with an explanation.

Haggar smiled, once again, showing her razor sharp teeth.  
“Oh, this is wonderful!” She cooed, actually looking...happy. Keith didn't think that was possible. The voice in Keith's mind decided to reappear and rationalise the situation for him. Whatever Haggar thought was wonderful, surely wouldn't be wonderful for him. 

Whilst Keith wasn't as scared of Haggar as he was of Lotor, she still struck fear into the very depths of his heart. She smiled wickedly up at him, and her eyes were alive with happiness.  
“This is going to hurt” She whispered, coming even closer, so their noses were almost touching and he could see the dark purple markings on her face.

Pain exploded in Keith's mind and all over his body, he let out a gasp, trying valiantly to prevent himself from screaming. His body was shaking again, and the chains around his wrists and ankles were clanging against each other, the links chinking wildly together. Keith tried to focus on the metallic noises, he'd found that this was the best was to escape pain.

But he couldn't concentrate on the metal because all he could think of was the blood on the floor from when he had spat at Haggar. Because it wasn't its usual red. He would even have preferred it to be neon green. Anything instead of what it actually was. Anything instead of deep, dark, ominous purple.


End file.
